A long-standing television record was rewritten last night, as CBS’s broadcast of Super Bowl XLIV became the most-watched TV program in history.

Nielsen says 106.5 million TV viewers watched the New Orleans Saints defeat the Indianapolis Colts, according to reports by the Associated Press. That surpasses the 105.97 million who watched the series finale of M*A*S*H on Feb. 28, 1983, which was also aired on CBS.

The previous record viewership for a Super Bowl was set just last year, when 98.7 million people watched the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals.

While Drew Brees and Peyton Manning certainly attracted plenty of attention on Sunday night, Hawkeye and Klinger can be comfortable knowing their mark was made in an era with fewer TV sets and a smaller population. –Tim Nudd


http://tvwatch.people.com/2010/02/08/super-bowl-eclipses-mash-finale-as-most-watched-tv-show/

The cast of M*A*S*H can also take comfort in knowing that their finale is still the most watched scripted TV program of all time.

:yeahthat

No, No, No, just No.


It's a sad day for humanity when football out ranks intelligent TV ohno:

Wow, I knew that the Superbowl would get high ratings but I never expected this!

Wow, I knew that the Superbowl would get high ratings but I never expected this!
Ditto!!

We should keep in mind, the population of the U.S.A. has increased by a healthy number since G.F.A. was aired. This does not take into account illegal Mexicans of course. ;)

also remember, there's a lot more channels now than in 1983.

Considering how people watch TV in this day and age (Tivo & DVR) a live broadcast of a something is pretty much the only way you're going to get that many people to watch a program at the same time anymore.

As Marvo pointed out, the M*A*S*H finale is still the most watched scripted show of all time, and i doubt any other show will beat that.

Considering how people watch TV in this day and age (Tivo & DVR) a live broadcast of a something is pretty much the only way you're going to get that many people to watch a program at the same time anymore.

As Marvo pointed out, the M*A*S*H finale is still the most watched scripted show of all time, and i doubt any other show will beat that.
Exactly!!

How do they know how many "viewers" watched either show? Aren't they just counting the number of TV sets tuned to those stations?

I agree with Marv and I also think the fact that it took almost 30 years to break this record is impressive.

A news report said that "Super Bowl XLIV beat out the Season finale of M*A*S*H". Why do some sources say "Season" finale instead of "Series" finale? Those sources don't know what a series finale is, they need to get in right.

The most watched television event of all time was the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In China alone, probably upwars to 1 billion people saw the primetime telecast. Ask any Chinese person where they were that night and they could tell you. I remember the streets of the city completely empty an hour before the start.

Probably 10 times the number of people Worldwide saw that program over The Super Bowl.

well I vote it the MOST FUN show! (imho its hard to top M*A*S*H here!)

This can't be right, I demand a recount! That was not ever a good superbowl.

This can't be right, I demand a recount! That was not ever a good superbowl.

This can't be right, I demand a recount! That was not ever a good superbowl.

A much higher percentage of viewers watched the MASH finale than the Superbowl,and that's what REALLY counts.As mentioned the population has increased quite a bit in the US since 1983.--Plus I heard that the Nielsen ratings were counting people that even watched as little as only one minute of the Superbowl in their total amount of viewers.That was NOT the case in 1983 with MASH.---- It's not even close as far as I'm concerned,the MASH finale still holds the record.

Isn't the M.A.S.H. finale known to be the most watched scripted show in history? If you're counting Superbowls, well I wonder how viewership of Kennedy's Assasination, or the first Apollo to land on the Moon, or viewership of news coverage of 9-1-1 compares?

Super Bowl 44 was the best football game of all time. It was however strange to see a good football team in Saints jerseys.

However, the USA had about 80 million less people in 1985 than in 2010, and most people did not have cable TV and there was no internet. So in proportion, more people watched that episode than any of the Superbowls by a long shot.